Naha: Naminoue Shrine Makishi Market & Shikinaen Guided TourNaha >A Walking Journey Through Naha Time Guided Tour

Explore Naha on a guided tour. Visit the Naminoue Shrine, Makishi Public Market, and Shikinaen Royal Garden to discover the heart of this island city.
Begin your journey by the sea, where the cliffs rise steeply over the blue expanse of the East China Sea, and the air smells faintly of salt. Standing tall on this cliff is Naminoue Shrine, the spiritual crown of Naha. The name itself means “above the waves,” and that is exactly how it feels: a sanctuary poised between earth and sky, between land and sea.
Climb the steps leading up to the shrine, as the bustling sounds of the city fall away, replaced by the distant echo of waves crashing against the rocks below. Red torii gates frame the entrance, their color vibrant against the horizon. The shrine’s curved tiled roofs glint under the sunlight, radiating both strength and grace. Naminoue Shrine has been a site of worship for centuries, long before it became formally recognized as a Shinto shrine during Japan’s Meiji era. Its roots stretch back to the Ryukyu Kingdom, when locals prayed here to sea deities for protection and safe voyages. The sea was the lifeblood of Okinawa — a pathway to trade, culture, and survival — and so the shrine became a guardian of both physical and spiritual journeys.
Standing at the edge of its stone terrace, imagine the ancient sailors and merchants bowing before their voyages, asking the gods for calm seas and safe winds. Though the shrine was devastated during World War II, like much of Okinawa, its reconstruction after the war symbolized the island’s resilience. It rose again, rebuilt with devotion by the local community, and today it remains one of the most visited sites in the city. Visitors still come to make wishes for safe travel, health, and prosperity.

Descend from the cliffs and take a short walk inland to reach Makishi Public Market, the beating heart of downtown Naha. Often called “the kitchen of Okinawa,” Makishi is not just a market .
Makishi Market embodies Naha’s connection to the land and sea. The bounty of Okinawa’s waters is everywhere — vivid red snappers, plump shrimp, spiny lobsters, and tropical shellfish whose colors seem painted by the sun. Farmers from the island’s hills bring in fresh vegetables and fruits unknown elsewhere in Japan — bittermelon, papaya, taro, and bright yellow shikuwasa, the small citrus fruit that adds tang to so many local dishes. The air feels alive with movement and sound, yet there’s a comforting familiarity to it all. Locals come here not just to shop, but to chat, share news, and laugh — the market is a social hub as much as a commercial one.

For a traveler, the experience is immersive. The act of walking through Makishi is like reading a story through scent and color — the sharp aroma of seaweed drying, the earthy sweetness of tofu, the clang of a cleaver on a wooden board. There is a sense of continuity here: the same recipes, the same rhythms, passed down through generations.

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